The protein encoded by this gene is a DNA-binding homeobox protein and a transcriptional repressor which appears to repress transcription by recruiting histone deacetylases to TGF beta-responsive genes. This gene is amplified and over-expressed in some ovarian cancers. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. A related pseudogene has been identified on chromosome 1. Read-through transcription also exists between this gene and the neighboring downstream C20orf24 (chromosome 20 open reading frame 24) gene. [provided by RefSeq Dec 2010]